Resources - Emulation - SEGA Saturn

🗃️ Specifications

📰 Title:	Resources - Emulation - SEGA Saturn	🕹️ / 🛠️ Type:	Info
🗃️ Genre:	Emulation	🚦 Status:	11. Documentation (no status)
🏷️ Category:	Emulation ➤ Engine ➤ SEGA	🌍️ Browser version:
🔖 Tags:	Documentation; Resources; Emulation; SEGA	📦️ Package Name:
🐣️ Approx. start:		📦️ Arch package:
🐓️ Latest:		📦️ RPM package:
📍️ Version:	Latest: -	📦️ Deb package:
🏛️ License type:	🕊️ Libre	📦️ Flatpak package:
🏛️ License:	CC BY	📦️ AppImage package:
🏝️ Perspective:	Third person	📦️ Snap package:
👁️ Visual:	Text	⚙️ Generic binary:
⏱️ Pacing:	Real Time	📄️ Source:
👫️ Played:	Single	📱️ PDA support:
🎖️ This record:		🕳️ Not used:
🎀️ Game design:		👫️ Contrib.:	goupildb & Louis
🎰️ ID:	12606	🐛️ Created:	2011-12-30
🐜️ Updated:	2022-05-01

📖️ Summary

[en]:	A set of links to resources and / or documentation for the SEGA Saturn game console.	[fr]:	Un ensemble de liens vers des ressources ou documentations relatives à l'émulation de la console de jeu SEGA Saturn.

🎥️ Videos

🎮️ Showcase:

📕 Description [en]

A set of links to resources and / or documentation for the SEGA Saturn game console.

🌍️ Wikipedia :

The Sega Saturn is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America and July 8, 1995 in Europe.

The Saturn sold 9.5 million units worldwide, and its installed base in Japan was over 6 million units though it was only 2 million in the United States. While it was popular in Japan, the Saturn failed to gain a similar market share in North America and Europe against its main competitors: Sony's PlayStation and later the Nintendo 64.

In 2009, video game website IGN chose the Saturn to be their 18th best video game console of all time, out of their list of 25.

Technical specifications
Question book-new.svg
This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2010)
Processors

• Two Hitachi SuperH-2 7604 32-bit RISC processors at 28.63 MHz (25 MIPS)—each has 4 kB on-chip cache (4-way associative), of which 2 kB can alternatively be used as directly addressable Scratchpad RAM
• Custom VDP 1 32-bit video display processor (running at 28.63 MHz on NTSC and PAL Systems) for sprites/polygons
• Custom VDP 2 32-bit video display processor (running at 28.63 MHz on NTSC and PAL Systems) for backgrounds/video out
• Custom System Control Unit (SCU) with DSP for geometry processing and DMA controller (running at 14.3 MHz)
• Motorola 68EC000 sound controller (running at 11.3 MHz / 1.5 MIPS)
• Yamaha FH1 DSP sound processor, "Saturn Custom Sound Processor" (SCSP), running at 22.6 MHz
• SH-1 32-bit RISC microcontroller (for the CD-ROM and CD security checks; uses preprogrammed embedded ROM, not programmable by software)
• Hitachi 4-bit MCU, "System Manager & Peripheral Control" (SMPC)

Memory

• 1 MB SDRAM as work RAM for both SH-2 CPUs (faster)
• 1 MB DRAM as work RAM for both SH-2 CPUs (slower)
• 512K VDP1 SDRAM for 3D graphics (Texture data for polygon/sprites and drawing command lists)
• 2x 256K VDP1 SDRAM for 3D graphics (Two framebuffers for double-buffered polygon/sprite rendering)
• 512K VDP2 SDRAM for 2D graphics (Texture data for the background layers and display lists)
• 4 KB VDP2 SRAM for color palette data and rotation coefficient data (local, on-chip SRAM)
• 512 KB DRAM for sound. (Multiplexed as sound CPU work RAM, SCSP DSP RAM, and SCSP wavetable RAM)
• 512 KB DRAM as work RAM for the CD-ROM subsystem's SH-1 CPU
• 32 KB SRAM with battery back-up for data retention.
• 512 KB Mask ROM for the SH-2 BIOS

Audio
Main article: Yamaha YMF292
SCSP 1st version.

Audio generation was provided via a specialized multifunction sound chip developed by Yamaha, the YMF292, also known as the Saturn Custom Sound Processor or SCSP. The SCSP included 32 sound channels with both FM and PCM (up to 44.1 kHz sampling rate) functionality and fully configurable channel linking for modulation purposes, a 128-step DSP, and either 16-or 18-bit digital output to an external DAC. The SCSP was used in conjunction with the Saturn's Motorola 68EC000 co-processor and dedicated audio RAM, and MIDI compliance allowed use of an external MIDI controller, such as a keyboard. The SCSP lacked hardware audio decompression.
Video
VDP1 1st version

The Sega Saturn is equipped with dual custom VDP chips for graphics processing. The VDP1 chip is primarily responsible for sprite generation. Polygon generation is accomplished through manipulation of the sprite engine. Texture mapping and Gouraud shading is also handled by the VDP1.

The VDP1 renders primitives to two 256 kB frame buffers that is most commonly configured as 512x256x16 with a 320x240 visible area. For medium and high resolution games, a 1024x256x8 frame buffer is used. Games running at 30 frame/s, like Virtua Fighter Remix and Die Hard Arcade, this gives a visible area of 640x240. For games running at 60 frame/s, like Virtua Fighter 2 and Dead or Alive, taking advantage of interlacing allows the two frame buffers to be combined for an effective size of 1024x512 per frame, with a visible area of 640x480. Having two separate frame buffers allows double buffering of the display and provides more time for rendering. The active framebuffer is read out to the display by the VDP2, which can apply data from a coefficient table to modify the scanning process, for effects like rotation, scaling, and general distortion of the entire frame buffer as a single entity.

The SCU (system bus control unit) provides DMA across a dedicated bus commonly labeled as the "B-bus" that the VDP2 and VDP1 are connected to, allowing transfer of data from them to and from main memory. Keep note that transferring data from and to the same bus is prohibited by all 3 SCU DMA levels.

• Rendering engine for command tables: textured and non-textured polygons, untextured "polygons," "polylines," and lines along with command tables that controls the frame buffer.
• "Sprites" are textured polygons with specific rendering modes:
• Normal sprite (one point), shrunk/scaled sprite (two points), distorted sprite (four points)
• Other rendering modes:
⚬Overwrite (replace frame buffer contents)
⚬Shadow (underlying frame buffer pixels rewritten with 1/2 brightness, primitive not drawn)
⚬Half luminosity (primitive rendered with 1/2 brightness)
⚬Half transparency (primitive and underlying framebuffer pixels averaged together)
• Gouraud shading for RGB-format textures only
• Dual 256KB frame buffers
• Programmable frame buffer depth of 8 or 16 bits per pixel
• Automatic erase feature to clear framebuffer with single color

Some commonly quoted specifications are highly dependent on the rendering modes for the polygons and other factors that burden the system load:

• 200,000 texture-mapped polygons per second
• 500,000 flat-shaded polygons per second
• 60 frames of animation per second

Saturn VDP1

• VDP1 memory is split: 512 kB for texture data / command lists, 256 kB for one frame buffer and 256 kB for another. Because of the split, it is not possible to use the frame buffer as a texture.
• The VDP1 has no texture cache, but since texture memory and the frame buffer have separate buses and can be accessed simultaneously, there isn't a speed penalty.
• The two frame buffers have a high-speed auto-erase feature.
• Commands are stored in a linked list in RAM, multiple lists can be stored, the list can be processed by the VDP1 without wasting a DMA channel.

VDP2 1st version.

The VDP 2 serves as the Sega Saturn's background processor. Certain special effects such as texture transparency and playfield rotation and scrolling (up to five fields at any given time) are handled here.

Both the VDP2 and VDP1 32-bit video display processor have direct access to the both SH-2s, as well as direct memory access (DMA) to both the main and video RAM.

• Background engine
• Four simultaneous scrolling backgrounds
• Uses 8x8 or 16x16 tiles or bitmap display per background
• Programmable memory access controller for VDP2 VRAM
• Two simultaneous rotating playfields
• VDP2 can rotate VDP1 framebuffer position while scanning out to display for rotation effects
• Color RAM supports 15-bit (32768 colors) and 24-bit (16.7 million colors) display modes
• Programmable priority at the per-background / per-tile / per-pixel levels
• Background color tinting/fading, and transparency effects
• Background blur effect (gradation) to simulate distance

Programmable display resolution:

• Horizontal sizes of 320, 352, 640, 704 pixels
• Vertical sizes of 224, 240, 256 scanlines, non-interlaced
• Vertical sizes of 448, 480, 512 scanlines, interlaced (only PAL consoles support 256 and 512 scanline displays)
• Hi-Vision (EDTV) and 31 kHz (VGA) display support:
• 31 kHz: 320×480 or 640×480, non-interlaced (progressive scan)
• Hi-Vision: 352×480 or 704×480, non-interlaced (progressive scan)

Storage

The Sega Saturn video game console features a double speed CD-ROM drive manufactured by JVC-Victor (some models may have been manufactured by Hitachi or Sanyo). The drive has a transfer rate of 320 KB/s, and a 512 KB data cache. Drive related functions are controlled via a single Hitachi SH1 32-bit RISC processor operating at 20 MHz.

• CD-DA compatible
• CD+G compatible
• CD+EG compatible
• CD single (8 cm CD) compatible
• Video CD (required optional MPEG add-on), Photo CD, Electronic Books, digital karaoke (optional)

Input/output
The NA model 2 controller, which was the same as the Japanese controller

• Two 7-bit bidirectional parallel I/O ports (controller ports)
• High-speed serial communications port (Both SH2 SCI channels and SCSP MIDI, also used for the Serial port)
• Cartridge connector
• Internal expansion port for optional MPEG adapter card (different models available from Sega, JVC, and Hitachi)
• Composite video/audio (standard)
• NTSC/PAL RF (optional RF adapter required)
• S-Video compatible (optional cable required)
• RGB compatible (optional cable required)
• EDTV/Hi-Vision compatible (custom cable required, not commonly available)

While the Saturn graphics hardware is capable of VGA (progressive/non-interlaced) video, no existing retail software ever used this mode and the system cannot force any such software to run in this mode. Moreover, neither Sega nor third-party manufacturers produced or sold the cables required to support such high-resolution modes on any type of display.
Power source

• AC120 volts; 60 Hz (US)
• AC240 volts; 50 Hz (EU/Asia)
• AC100 volts; 50/60 Hz (JP/TW)
• 3 volt CR2032 lithium battery to power non-volatile RAM and SMPC internal real-time clock
• Power Consumption: 25 W
• Power Consumption: 12 W (JP)

Dimensions (US/European model)

• Width: 260 mm (10.2 in)
• Length: 230 mm (9.0 in)
• Height: 83 mm (3.2 in)

📕 Description [fr]

Un ensemble de liens vers des ressources ou documentations relatives à l'émulation de la console de jeu SEGA Saturn.

La SEGA Saturn est une console de jeux 32X sortie en 1994. Elle supporte les jeux en 3D.

🌍️ Wikipedia :

La Saturn ou Sega Saturn est une console de jeux vidéo de Sega sortie en 1994 (1995 en Europe). Le nom Saturn provient du fait qu'elle est la sixième console du constructeur qui a été vendue officiellement sur toute la planète (ce qui n'était pas le cas des toutes premières consoles de la firme, commercialisées uniquement au Japon), comme la sixième planète du système solaire. Par ce nom, Sega voulait évoquer pour le joueur un univers nouveau, totalement différent de celui qu'il connaissait en matière de jeux vidéo. L'arrivée des consoles 32 bits marque aussi le début des jeux en 3D.

Au départ Sega voulait appeler cette console la Giga Drive, suite logique de Mega Drive.

Spécifications techniques

• 8 processeurs :
⚬Deux Hitachi SH-2, 32 bits de type RISC à 28,6 MHz, 25 MIPS chacun
⚬Hitachi SH-1, 32 bits de type RISC
⚬VDP 1 et VDP 2, 32 bits, pour l'affichage vidéo
⚬Saturn Control Unit (SCU)
⚬Motorola 68EC000, pour les effets sonores
⚬DSP, pour les effets sonores
• Contrôleur graphique 32 bits : VDP 1
• Contrôleur CD-Rom et décompression : VDP 2
• Contrôleur son : Motorola 68EC000 à 11.3 MHz (Ancien processeur central du Genesis/Megadrive)
• DSP son : Yamaha FH1 24bits à 22,6 MHz
• Mémoire principale : 2 Mo (16 Mb)
• Mémoire vidéo : 1,54 Mo
• Cache vidéo du CD-Rom : 540 ko
• Mémoire morte (BIOS): 512 ko
• Tampon Graphique : 2×256Ko de frame buffer et 512 ko de cache texture.
• Capacité graphique : 320×240, 640×240 et 720×576 (images fixes MPEG) en 16 millions de couleurs, jusqu'à 60 images par seconde. La console peut générer jusqu'à 200 000 polygones texturés par seconde et 500 000 polygones ombrés face pleine par seconde. Et jusqu'à 300 000 polygones texturés par seconde et 750 000 polygones ombrés face pleine par seconde en utilisant les capacités du processeur sonore.
• Mémoire audio : 540 ko
• Support média : CD-Rom 2× (transfert de 320 kilooctets par seconde), port service 32 bits, Compatible CD+G, CD+EG, CD Single (8 cm), Photo CD, Video CD, EBook et Digital Karaoke.
• Entrées/Sorties : Port série de communication haute vitesse, port interne d'expansion 32 bits, port interne Multi AV pour un adaptateur vidéo CD facultatif (pour le MPEG), entrée Vidéo/Stéréo (Standard), S-Vidéo Compatible (facultatif), RGB Compatible (facultatif), HD TV Compatible (facultatif) et deux ports pour contrôleurs analogiques.
• Périphériques : cartouche de sauvegarde de 512 kbit et jusqu'à 4 Mo, cartouche RAM de 1 à 4 Mo, joypads analogiques, volant, carte de décompression MPEG-1, manette pour la course de chevaux, twin stick (pour le jeu Virtual On), pêche, souris...
• Dimensions : 260mmX230mmX83mm

💡 Nota:
• La copie d'écran provient du site Wikipedia (licence Public domain).
• Attention : le téléchargement de ROMS commerciales est illégal à moins de les avoir acquises financièrement.

🔍️ Test [fr]

💡️ Commentaires généraux:
Nous vous suggérons la lecture de l'article réalisé par Planet Emulation (lien au paragraphe "Docs" ci-dessus) concernant l'histoire de SEGA : un travail fantastique et bigrement intéressant sur l'épopée de la firme (fondée aux USA puis transférée au Japon).
👏️ ❤️ Un grand bravo et merci à son auteur : Zapier.